Thursday, November 10, 2022

Luna 17 launched 1970



Luna 17, launched November 10, 1970, delivered Lunokhod 1, the first robotic rover to the moon.  The spacecraft reached the moon November 15 and landed on Nov 17.  Lunokhod 1 had eight wheels that could be controlled independently and could travel up to 100 m/hr or about 0.062 mph.  

During its mission, it traveled 10.5 km, returned over 20,000 images, and performed 25 soil samples.  The last communication with Lunokhod 1 occurred on September 14, 1971.  On October 4, attempts to reestablish contact ceased.

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